Philippians 3:13,14

Philippians 3:13,14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. When you go hunting, you have to think ahead of what animal you are going to shoot. If you are going to shoot a deer, you need a rifle with a single bullet. But if you are going to shoot a bird, you need a shot gun that shoots a charge of pellets to hit the flying bird. In our verse for today, Paul does not use a shotgun with many pellets; Paul uses a rifle with a single bullet. Paul says that he doesn’t do many things in his Christian life; He focuses on one thing in his Christian life; and he does this one thing very well. Paul says that he forgets the past with all of its successes and failures and he focuses on moving forward following Jesus Christ! Like a runner who has his eye on the goal, Paul focuses on being like Jesus Christ and pleasing Jesus! That should be our single focus: to be like Jesus.

Philippians 3:10

Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Of course we want to know more about Jesus Christ, but do we want to know more of his terrible death?! Well that is something different! Of course Paul wants to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection, but joining in with the suffering that Jesus endured on the cross? What does Paul mean by this? I think Paul wants to be identified with Jesus. It is just like baptism. What is baptism all about? Baptism is joining in with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection – only just as in a picture. When we are baptized, we picture Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Paul says that we should want the saving power of Jesus’ resurrection. In order to do this, we should join in with Jesus’ death and the suffering of the cross and die – to self. Just like in baptism we are raided to walk in newness of life, so as we identify with Jesus’ death, we can die to self and walk the renewed Christian life! But it is no longer us, but the life of Christ living in us!

Philippians 3:7,8

Philippians 3:7,8 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, Your father uses numbers every day to keep his business organized. He uses a program on his computer called a spread sheet. Paul is using the same number theme here in our verses for today. Paul puts all of the things that he was working for in his life on one side of the number column. Then he puts all of the wonderful things that he has because of Jesus Christ on the other side. And what happens with the numbers? Paul’s selfish side can’t even compare with the Jesus side. Actually, Paul says that his selfish side amounts to nothing but dung. Have your dad google the word dung. It means manure! All of the stuff that Paul had been working for during his entire life was like pooh when compared to Jesus Christ! Wow! I didn’t say that; Paul said it! Paul said that he wanted to win Christ. Jesus Christ was everything to him. Is Jesus Christ special to you? I hope He is.

Philippians 2:14

Philippians 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings: When we don’t like what we are told to do, how do we react? Do we grumble? When your dad or mom asks you to do something, and you begin to grumble to yourself kind of under your breath, and they ask what you just said, how do you reply? Do we say, “Oh, it’s nothing.” Disputings mean out loud arguing. Murmuring means grumbling under your breath. You aren’t talking to anyone; you are just complaining to yourself – out loud. But not too loud. Not loud enough for your mom or your dad to hear. But what does our verse say about murmurings and disputings? It says, just don’t do it! Don’t grumble or complain. Just don’t. Be pleasant and happy. Don’t be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner.

Philippians 2:13

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Did God make everything in the beginning? Is God in charge of keeping everything running? Does God have everything work out the best possible way for everyone involved? But, think: does God make us do things against our will? No He does not. He knows what we will do, but He lets us make our decisions. So if we trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we then have the blessed Holy Spirit inside of us controlling our hearts. Then we are able to decide to do the right things. Our sinful nature and thoughts are replaced with God’s Holy Spirit. We can do what we want to do. Our hearts and God’s heart are synked just like your dad’s mobile phone and his computer are synked. They are working together. Now God can do His work in us. We are at one with our Creator.

Philippians 2:8-11

Philippians 2:8-11 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. In our verses for yesterday and today, we see Jesus putting off His Godness and putting on His human body. So from His throne in heaven Jesus goes down, and down, and down. He goes from His throne in heaven to a lowly little baby, and finally to die on a cruel rugged cross. But because of His obedience and sacrifice, God the Father lifted Him up! What happened to Jesus on Easter Sunday morning? He came up out of the grave! He came up alive! But then He went back to His glorious place on the throne of heaven at the side of God the Father. Now Jesus is with the Father taking our part. He talks to God the Father for us! Jesus went down, down, and down – for us! But then He went up, up, and up for us! What a wonderful Savior and Friend is He!